Joe Satriani, one of the most technically perfect guitarists alive, straight-up admitted he was hesitant, trying to play Eddie Van Halen’s parts and wanted help from Alex Van Halen.
Joe Satriani revealed his behind-the-scenes collaboration with Alex Van Halen during his preparation for Sammy Hagar’s band. He shared these details in a recent episode of Wong Notes Podcast.
The project initially caused Satriani considerable hesitation. He struggled with the challenge of performing Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitar parts and adapting to Van Halen’s unique playing style.
Satriani admitted, “This is a gig that I turned down multiple times. Tail between my legs and saying, ‘Oh man, this is like, I can’t do this. There are so many people who’ve studied Eddie’s technique and they really nailed it. And I’m not one of those guys. I’m over here being Joe all the time. And we don’t play the same.”
Satriani also faced significant technical challenges as he was learning Eddie’s parts. He explained:
“When you get into learning the parts, you go like, ‘Oh my God, everything is beautiful. Everything’s impeccable. Everything is perfect. My hand doesn’t do that. I just can’t do that. And suddenly you realize, okay, this is going to be embarrassing when that part comes and I can’t do it.”
The situation led to Satriani seeking Alex Van Halen’s guidance. He then recalled:
“Early on when I came up with one too many workarounds, I remember calling Alex and saying, ‘Hey, Alex. Man, I got this list of workarounds. It’s getting kind of embarrassing. You sure you don’t want to call Nuno [Bettencourt] or someone who nails this stuff in their sleep?’
Satriani ultimately discovered his own approach to the material. He said:
“Eventually I warmed up to the idea of channeling myself through the composition, and that’s what helped me a lot. Was just trying to understand the song and what Ed was trying to accomplish, and not worry so much about whether I could pick as fast or tap with my middle finger or this finger while holding the pick this way, which I can’t do.”
